


Getting used to you

by Lynn1998



Series: L”A.I.”nce AU [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: ADHD Lance, Angst, Anxiety Attacks, Artificial Intelligence Lance, Fluff, Langst, M/M, Orphan Keith, Pls read part one and two of this series this is a continuation, broganes, emotional break downs, klangst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2018-03-10
Packaged: 2019-03-22 20:45:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13772205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lynn1998/pseuds/Lynn1998
Summary: “They tried so desperately to get me to believe that they loved me…but I knew they just fell in love with the A.I.”





	1. reintroduction

**Author's Note:**

> Heeey guys. To anyone who hasn’t read the first two parts of this series…ngl you’re gonna be really confused. They’re both pretty quick reads, so all you need to do is click the L”A.I”nce series and start with “ones and zeros and exes and ohs” and just go front there.
> 
> If you have read the past two parts, hi!! I hope you enjoy this. I’m a little loopy rn bc I got my wisdom teeth taken out 12 hours and and I was put under for it. Sorry for any spelling mistakes or errors I missed. I raked through it pretty thoroughly last night but idk I was really nervous about the surgery. I’m not really keen on fixing them either so telling me in the comments is kind of a waste of time so…yeah…
> 
> Anyways! Enjoy

     Meeting Lance for the first time was the happiest moment of Keith’s life. He swore, from that moment on he would never let him go. At first that was quite literal. He held on to Lance tightly, and refused to let him go as he just enjoyed the other man’s company. Lance invited him to stay at his house outside the city, and Keith had never accepted an invitation so fast. He followed his love out of his office, and then out of the building, and into his car before he drove off.

     Keith still couldn’t get over the novelty of just _looking_ at him. His eyes stared at every feature and possible part of Lance. Every time Lance peeked over at him he’d turn a beautiful shade of red, and shyly turn his head away to focus on the traffic. When they finally arrived at Lance’s house, he stuttered as he lead Keith inside. It was obvious he was a little uncomfortable with being so blatantly stared at, and Keith really did try to stop. Every time he looked away, he found himself looking back within five seconds.

     Lance shed his jacket and put it away in his coat closet. He held out his hand, and Keith quickly took off his own coat for Lance to put away. Then he got distracted by the inside of his home, and walked a little into the living room. It was very neat and organized, as if Lance was constantly expecting company. The couches had thoughtfully placed pillows on the ends, and there was an ottoman in the family and living room. His kitchen had a few plants, and a neat assortment of kitchen appliances. He had a coffee and tea station, a mixer, a blender, and a beautiful display of crystal goblets. Candles were scattered all throughout the house, and Keith noticed the biblical depictions on the tall cylindrical glasses.

“Sorry…I haven’t been too tidy recently,” Lance said as he made a beeline to his kitchen and started loading the two dirty dishes in his sink into his dishwasher. Keith chuckled and slowly followed, still taking in his new environment.

“It’s okay. I’m a lot messier than you,” Keith said leaning against his counter.

“I know,” Lance replied and smiled at him shyly. Keith bit his lip and stepped closer to Lance. He was staring again, except this time he also reached out and touched him. Lance didn’t look away this time, and let Keith caress his cheek.

“Feels so good to just…” Keith trailed off and then shrugged, speechless. Lance looked down and touched Keith’s chest.

“I…know the feeling,” he murmured. Keith shuddered at the feeling of Lance’s warm hands on his body.

“I knew you had to be real. I mean…no amount of technology could just make someone like you,” Keith said. Lance blinked up at him.

“You’d be surprised,” he murmured. Keith backed him up until he was pressed against the counter.

“Maybe, but…I was right,” Keith said. A smile tugged at the side of his mouth for a second. Lance slipped his arms around Keith’s neck.

“Yes…you were right. I’m real,” Lance smiled back. Keith wrapped up Lance in a big hug, and nuzzled into his neck. Lance held him tightly in response, and ran his fingers through Keith’s hair.

“Although, if you’re gonna keep staring at me all the time we might need to talk about that,” Lance announced. Keith laughed nervously, but held Lance tighter in response.

“Just…gimme some time. I fell in love with you in under a week, and I only had pictures of you to look at,” Keith replied. Lance giggled and broke the hug.

“Would you like something to drink?” He asked. Keith nodded.

“Yeah…sure.”

“Coffee or tea?”

“Coffee. Black is fine.”

     It was still a little awkward, but Keith and Lance got along very well. Lance made them coffee, and giggled through out the process with Keith clinging to his waist and smothering his neck in affection. Once they finally had coffee in their respective cups, Keith was still trailing kissed up and down Lance’s neck. When he turned to give Keith his cup, it only got worse.

“Kei-“ Lance was cut off by a kiss on the lips, and stiffened. He could never get over the sparks when Keith kissed him. It was so intense he almost spilled his drink. “Coffee…” Lance sighed as Keith pulled away.

“Its too hot. We should let it cool down,” Keith murmured and took the cup as he kissed Lance again.

“Mmm…what’ll we do in the meantime?” Lance asked. Keith set his cup next to Lance’s, and then wrapped his arms around the skinny man’s waist again.

“I’m sure we’ll find something to do,” he hummed and held Lance tight in his grip. Their lips brushed against each other, and Lance’s hands were on Keith’s biceps.

“I think…you’re just looking for an excuse to kiss me,” Lance murmured. Keith smiled, and moved his hands to lift Lance up onto the counter. He looked up at the tan man, and appreciated how he shyly looked down at their intertwining fingers.

“Have you ever been away from someone for a long time, like family…or just someone really important to you…and then you get back and it feels like they’ve never been gone?” Keith asked. Lance met his eyes. They were serious, and warm. Lance loved those eyes. He didn’t answer. “That’s what this feels like,” Keith whispered. Lance looked at his lap and shook his head.

“We’ve never actually met before,” he murmured.

“I met-“

“A _version_ of me,” Lance finished. He looked at Keith again. “That wasn’t me, though,” he sighed.

“Lance-“

“Sorry…” Lance frowned and reached forward to hug Keith. “Sorry, I’m just…really overwhelmed right now. Last night…it was hard.” Keith hugged Lance back and nodded.

“It really was,” he agreed. “I knew you’d be here…somehow.”

“…did you really?” Lance asked nervously. Keith nodded again and pulled away.

“Of course…the moment I saw your face…the moment I heard your voice…I could tell there was more to it. More to _you_ ,” he said. Lance bit his trembling lip as he felt wetness gather under his eyes. Keith quickly wiped it away. “Oh, Lance.”

“It’s funny…” Lance sniffled. “You made me feel less lonely, and more lonely at the same time.” Keith frowned.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean…I’ve been working on this project for _so. Long_. I…I haven’t been able to just talk to people. A-and then I started following along with your progress and…it was like I had a new pen pal. You made me feel so happy when I was with you, but…once the system went to sleep, or…or when you were away…it just reminded me that I still didn’t have anyone. I was just…watching this unravel…alone,” Lance explained. Keith’s brows knit, and he held Lance close.

“I’m so sorry…”

“It’s…it’s not your fault. You’re here now,” Lance responded. Keith sighed and shook his head.

“I should’ve come sooner.”

“Keith, no-“

“I should’ve…I should’ve met you a long time ago. Maybe at a school or something. When we were younger and dumber. We should’ve…I dunno…done normal things,” Keith blushed. “I didn’t really have like a relationship in high school so I have no clue what we’d do,” he admitted. Lance giggled and held Keith’s head to his chest.

“We’d flirt by our lockers and pass each other notes in class. Then, when the teacher would grab them and read them out to the class, everyone would know how hopelessly romantic we are,” Lance said. Keith smiled and returned his arms around Lance’s waist. “We’d make out behind the bleachers during football practice…and go to school dances together…maybe prank a teacher we both hated.” Keith laughed at that.

“I like the sound of that,” he said and nuzzled against Lance. Lance ran his fingers through Keith’s hair and felt the butterflies flutter in his stomach.

“Me too…”

     Eventually, Keith let Lance off the counter, and they carried their coffee to the couch. They drank it and chatted a little bit about themselves to each other. Lance told Keith all about the prototypes and programming he’s done with his team, and the end goal of their A.I. system. Keith, while confused at times Lance went into detail about the programming, listened intently and loved the pure passion in Lance’s expression. It was a good excuse for him to blatantly stare at his love, and he enjoyed the blush on Lance’s cheeks when Keith did more looking than listening. 

     Lance finished his cup first, and Keith let him take his almost empty cup with him to the sink. When Lance returned to the couch he was yawning, and basically flopped back onto the couch with Keith. His lanky body stretched, and he looked like he was ready for a nap. Keith on the other hand felt like he had endless energy. Between the coffee, and the exhilarating feeling of finally meeting Lance, Keith just wanted to keep talking.

“Are you tired?” He asked. Lance nodded and rubbed at his eyes.

“Yeah…coffee usually makes me more focused, but…if I have it this late into the after noon it makes me tired,” Lance sighed.

“The coffee made you tired?” Keith questioned. Lance put his hands down, and then blushed. He avoided Keith’s eyes.

“Yeah…um…I have ADHD. Usually, my prescription is a stimulant like Ritalin or Adderall, but sometimes coffee works the same way,” he hummed. He sounded like he was ashamed of it, and Keith instantly touched Lance’s chin to gently guide his eyes back to him.

“That’s really interesting,” Keith replied. Lance let out a laugh that sounded like a deep breath.

“It’s…difficult. I’m not gonna lie. I…can get obnoxious and…I obsess over organizing because if I slack on it everything becomes a mess,” he explained. Keith shrugged.

“You say this like it’s a burden to me,” he said. Lance shrugged and looked away again. “I mean…people always have flaws.”

“Right…people do.”

“Uh…” Keith awkwardly searched his brain. “I…I snore sometimes,” he supplied. Lance giggled.

“I noticed. I…actually kinda like it.”

“Okay…um…you already know I’m a literal mess…” Keith looked around as he dug through his brain.

“What are you trying to do?” Lance asked smiling and shaking his head. Keith blinked at him.

“Well…you opened up to me about yourself. I guess…I’m just looking for something about me that’ll make you feel…a little less vulnerable, or something,” Keith answered. Lance rolled his eyes.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said and then yawned again.

“Do you want to sleep?” Keith asked. Lance nodded.

“Yeah, I’m…in desperate need of a nap,” he murmured. Keith looked around, and then pulled one of Lance’s blankets off the back of the couch. He then wrapped the blanket around Lance, and then his arms.

“What are you doing?” Lance asked laughing.

“Cuddling with you so you can nap,” Keith replied. Lance blushed again and smiled. Keith kicked off his shoes and slowly leaned back until they were both laying on the couch. Lance kicked his shoes off too, and wrapped his arms around Keith’s waist.

“You’re…really sweet,” he hummed as he closed his eyes. Keith ran his fingers through Lance’s hair as he made himself comfortable on top of Keith. 

     In mere seconds Lance was asleep, and Keith could just appreciate the experience and the physicality of Lance. His body was warm, and his hair and skin was soft. Just holding him was grounding, and for the first time Keith felt like he had fulfilled his need for another person. Another human being that he loved and wanted to cherish for as long as he possibly could. He found himself loving things he didn’t think he would ever notice. Like the rise and fall of Lance’s shoulders when he breathed, or the movement of his eyes as they remained shut. The little hairs on the back of his neck. His small(ish) hands on Keith’s chest.

     By the time Lance woke up again, it had been over a couple hours and Keith still wasn’t done appreciating and taking in the human on top of him. At first, Lance merely nuzzled against Keith’s chest, but he didn’t open his eyes until Keith pushed a piece of his hair behind his ear. Then Lance’s head popped up immediately and he blinked up at Keith as he smiled at him. He rubbed at his eyes tiredly and returned his head to Keith’s chest.

“It wasn’t a dream, was it?” Lance sighed.

“What wasn’t a dream?” Keith asked.

“ _You_ , dingus,” Lance muttered. Keith chuckled and ran his fingers through Lance’s hair.

“No. I’m here,” he replied. Lance sighed and crawled up to be closer to Keith. He fit more perfectly into Keith’s arms when he flopped down.

“Are you still napping?” Keith asked as he embraced Lance. Lance sighed and then crawled back to sit up.

“No…if I nap anymore I’ll just end up sleeping and then waking up at fucking two am”, he murmured.

“That sounds like you know from experience,” Keith noticed. Lance chuckled a little and nodded.

“Unfortunately, yes,” he answered.

     Keith bit his lip and sat up as well. Lance blinked at him and smiled. Keith smiled back and moved a little closer. He put his hand on Lance’s knee, and rubbed his thumb against the material of his jeans. Lance blushed and inched a little more towards Keith as well. Navy eyes flicked down to Lance’s lips, and then the pale man was leaning in. Lance allowed Keith to approach him, and watched his mouth as well. He released his bottom lip, and Lance was sure he was as red as the marks Keith’s teeth left on his lips. Then those marked lips were against his, and Lance immediately let his eyes droop and close.

     Kissing had never felt so amazing. In all of Lance’s life, he had had some uneventful kisses. He’s also had really exciting and meaningful kisses. Those kisses looked worse than the uneventful kisses next to Keith’s kisses. Keith kissed Lance with such intensity, Lance almost couldn’t breath. He let Keith’s lips work against his, and kissed him back carefully and hesitantly. Still, no matter how careful he was, Keith still made Lance melt into him. With his lips being worshiped by the man in front of him, Lance slowly slipped into Keith’s lap. Arms returned around his waist, and Lance sighed as he cupped Keith’s face.

     He opened his eyes to see Keith hungrily eating his expression. The way he looked at Lance made his breath hitch, and his eyebrows furrow. Keith’s hands held Lance tighter against him, and his lips kissed at Lance’s jaw. Lance slowly closed his eyes again.

“Keith…” he sighed.

“I love you,” Keith murmured.

“I love you too…” Lance whispered. Keith kissed Lance again, and then squeezed him in another hug.

“I…love you…”

“Mm…I’m still so tired,” Lance hummed. Keith chastely kissed Lance’s cheek.

“You were just napping,” Keith reminded him. Lance was silent, and Keith looked Lance in the eye. “Are you okay?” He asked. Lance nodded, but turned his eyes to stare at the floor.

“Yeah…Yeah, I’m fine,” He answered. Keith frowned and gave Lance a little space. He held his face and then, suddenly, Lance was crying again.

“What’s wrong?” Keith asked. Lance sniffled.

“I…I should be really happy,” he murmured. Keith furrowed his brows.

“Should you?” He questioned. Lance reached up to wipe away a tear, but Keith beat him to it.

“For the past few days…you were all I wanted. I…I _still_ want you…so badly,” Lance pulled his head away and continued looking down in submission.

“You have me,” Keith assured him and rubbed his arm affectionately.

“Do I?” Lance murmured.

“Yes, of course you do,” Keith insisted and moved closer. He held Lance’s shoulders. “I came here for _you_ ,” he murmured. Lance hiccuped and wiped his tears with the sleeve from his cardigan.

“I’m…I’m really…fuck, so much has been happening…” Lance whimpered. Keith tugged Lance into his warm embrace, and Lance let his trembling arms wrap around Keith.

“I’m here, okay? Just…don’t worry about anything, okay? Don’t worry,” Keith cooed in his ear. Lance sobbed. Part of it was relief to hold Keith so close, but it was mostly from the pure exhaustion his body had gone through. Keith’s prototype had been a major ordeal for Lance, and he was paying for it. “Where’s your bedroom? You need more sleep,” Keith said. Lance started to get up on wobbly feet, but Keith quickly scooped him up. A gasp left his lips and he clung to his love.

“Um…u-upstairs,” Lance stuttered.

     Keith followed Lance’s directions and carried him up into his bedroom. It looked like it was barely lived in, and that if someone hadn’t recently occupied it, it would’ve looked abandoned. The bed sheets weren’t perfectly tidy, but everything else in the room was virtually untouched. Keith laid Lance down in his bed and awkwardly stood to the side. Lance sat himself up and rubbed at his eyes one last time. He sniffled, and Keith could see the clear exhaustion in his eyes.

“Um…do you wanna like…change into your pyjamas or something?” Keith asked. Lance blinked up at him, and then nodded.

“Yeah…Yeah, I should probably do that,” he said.

“Okay…I’ll…uh…”

“You can stay here. Actually, did you bring any clothes with you?” Lance asked. Keith looked down at his work clothes and blushed.

“Uh, no. I forgot,” Keith answered.

“I normally sleep in my underwear though,” he admitted. Lance smiled at him as he stood up. He then turned and walked to his dresser.

“I know,” he said simply as he pulled out a pair of his pyjamas. He then tossed a dark shirt at Keith, and giggled a little at his shocked expression. “You put the glasses on your nightstand. I was starting to think you wanted me to notice your ass,” he teased. Keith’s blush deepened.

“I…I-I thought it was off,” he murmured. Lance chuckled and peeled off his cardigan.

“It was asleep, but the program never turns off,” Lance replied. Keith nodded, and averted his gaze when Lance pulled his shirt off. He did the same, and pulled on the shirt that Lance had given him. Then he pulled his slacks down, and then sat down on the bed to take off his socks.

“I’ve always thought men in suits looked extremely attractive,” Lance hummed. Keith looked up at him and smiled a little.

“Have you?” He asked. Lance smiled back, fully dressed in his blue pyjamas and settling himself on his bed. Keith watched him crawl under the blanket, and crawled under with him.

“Well…more like I always thought men’s suits looked attractive on my floor,” he murmured. Keith chuckled.

“I take it you’re feeling better?” He murmured. Lance’s smiled dampened for a moment.

“More like distracted…but in a sense, yes,” he answered. Keith bit his lip and held Lance against his chest.

“How can I make you feel better? Like, for good?” He asked. Lance nuzzled against Keith’s warm body, yet he still trembled.

“Do you really love me?” Lance whispered. Keith pulled back and frowned at Lance.

“What do you mean?” He asked. Lance’s lower lip was trembling.

“Over the past six months…like five people have barged into my office confessing their love for me. Five people…begged for me to love them back, and…and I had no idea who they were,” Lance confessed. Keith felt his world shift. Suddenly, he felt extremely guilty for what he had done.

“Lance…”

“They tried so desperately to get me to believe that they loved me…but I knew they just fell in love with the A.I.,” he continued. “Ever since it first happened…I…I started to resent it. Little by little until…until I hated it for being a better version of me.”

“Lance, it’s not-“

“It is. Humans…are messy. Technology is as perfect as it’s programming, and if I hadn’t tampered with the programming…it would’ve been perfect,” Lance murmured.

“No it wouldn’t,” Keith whispered desperately. His eyes were starting to prickle from on coming tears as well.

“Keith-“

“A program doesn’t have a heartbeat,” Keith hushed. “A program can’t hold me like you can…it can’t touch me…or see me…or _love_  me like you can,” he went on. Lance blinked and tears were running down his face and onto his pillow.

“But it _did_ love you,” Lance murmured.

“Yeah…because _you_  made it love me,” Keith reminded him. Lance closed his eyes, and more tears came rushing down. “ _You_  did that. A human. Not a machine.”

“Keith, I’m…” he sighed. “I’m a mess. I’m nothing like the Lance you fell in love with,” he whimpered. Keith shook his head.

“Lance-“

“Just…” he broke off into another sob. “They all do. I don’t know how you _couldn’t_. You fell in love with…w-with _nothing_.”

“I fell in love with _you_ ,” Keith insisted. Lance continued to cry into his neck. Keith ran his fingers through his hair, and then sighed.

“I’ll prove it to you. No matter what it takes,” Keith said. Lance pulled back and blinked up at him.

“What…?”

“I’ll prove that I love you. I’ll fall in love with you all over again if you need me to,” he promised. Lance sniffled. “I just want you to know…that I didn’t fall for the code or the ones and zeros…I fell in love with you.”

     Then, Lance sat up and wiped his tears away again. He cleared his throat and ran his fingers through his hair. Keith sat up with him, and watched as Lance groomed himself. He then turned towards Keith and held out his hand. A smile spread across his face, and Keith felt his heart beat hard for the man in front of him.

“Let’s start over then…Hi, I’m Lance,” he introduced himself. Keith looked down at his hand and then grinned. He shook it.

“Keith,” he replied.

“Pleasure to meet you, Keith,” Lance nodded as they shook hands. Keith then pulled the back of Lance’s hand to his mouth and kissed his cinnamon skin.

“The pleasure is all mine,” he said. Lance blushed bright red, but allowed Keith to continue pressing kisses up his arm.

“I’m…not sure if I should allow a stranger to sleep in my bed,” Lance stammered. Keith hummed and finally reached Lance’s neck.

“Perhaps you could make an exception this time. I’d hate to leave you by yourself,” he whispered under his ear. Lance shivered.

“Perhaps I can…”


	2. Nice to meet you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s all about learning knew things about each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really like green tea

“Yeah, its just for a week or two. I just…the videos are too much for me, and going through the latest prototype really took a toll on my mental health,” Lance said truthfully.

“I completely understand, Lance. I’ve been thinking of putting you on sick leave myself,” Allura replied. “Hunk told me he was concerned about you earlier this week, and Shiro said he was worried as well yesterday.”

“Guess its hard to hide, huh?” He joked. Allura laughed a little.

“I guess so. I hope you feel better. I suggest seeing your shrink twice a week for a while. The company will cover all the expenses,” she assured him. Lance nodded.

“Okay. When I come back, I think we should make some big changes though,” he said.

“What kind of changes?” Allura asked.

“Well, I think it would help if it wasn’t named after me…and if we didn’t use my _exact_  likeness…just a thought,” Lance said.

“I was just thinking the same thing.”

“Glad we’re on the same page,” Lance smiled. Suddenly, he felt warm arms around his waist and soft lips against his neck. “Uh…I’ll call you when I’m ready to come back to work,” he said.

“Alright. Take care of yourself. We still need to talk about what happened with the prototype. I watched some of the footage, you know,” she said. Lance let his eyes close as he enjoyed the affection he was being showered in.

“Right. Yeah…”

“I’m not going to fire you, so don’t worry about that. You’re much too valuable,” Allura assured him. “And due to the circumstances of your mental health, I can’t really blame you.” Lance let his head down.

“Yeah…”

“That said, I’m glad you’re taking the steps to better yourself. I hope you enjoy your time off,” Allura said.

“Thanks, Allura. I can always count on you,” Lance said. The lips against his neck slowly stopped until the head attached to them rested on Lance’s shoulder.

“Anytime. Buh-bye,” Allura said before hanging up. Lance put his phone down and looked over at the man resting his head on his shoulder.

“You’re rather forward for someone I’ve just met,” Lance teased, a smirk tugging at his lips. Keith merely nuzzled against his neck in response.

“We cuddled all night, and last I checked, _you_ were the one who _wanted_  me to hold you,” Keith replied and then kissed Lance’s neck again. Lance giggled and turned away to make himself some tea.

“And yet, we _just_  met,” Lance pointed out and turned on his electric kettle. He then walked around Keith to grab a mug. “Tea?” Keith nodded.

“Yeah, sure.”

“What kind?” Lance asked as he walked back to his kettle with two mugs.

“Uh, green tea is my favorite,” he said. Lance pulled out two green packets from a jar.

“Would you look at that. It’s my favorite too,” he said and opened the packets. He placed the tea bags in their mugs, and then walked to his cupboard. “Honey?”

“Yes please,” Keith smiled as he sleepily watched his love maneuver through the kitchen. “Should I make some breakfast?” Keith offered.

“Depends. Can you make anything besides eggs?” Lance asked and set the honey on the counter. Keith blinked, and then pursed his lips. Lance chuckled

“I already got the bacon out,” he gestured to the stove. Keith looked behind him and immediately turned on one of the burners. There was already a pan, and Keith loaded it with strips of bacon. Lance then carried over his carton of eggs, and gave Keith a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you,” he whispered. 

     Keith grinned. No matter how many times Lance reminded him that they only just met, it still felt like he had known Lance for eternity. There was something incredibly domestic about watching Lance make them tea in his satin robe and pyjamas. It felt like a normal morning, and the moment the eggs hit the pan Keith felt like nothing had changed. He finally had his Lance again. Even if he was a little different from the program, he made Keith feel even happier. He much preferred the living person over the disembodied voice in his ear.

“I like my eggs fried, by the way,” Lance announced as he poured the hot water. Keith chuckled and nodded.

“Gotcha,” he replied and flipped the bacon. Lance then leaned against the counter as he watched Keith cook.

“And I like my bacon soft,” he added. Keith immediately reached for the nearby roll of paper towels, and ripped off two sheets. He looked around and pulled a plate down to set the bacon on. Then, he handed the plate of perfectly cooked bacon to Lance along with a kiss on his cheek.

“Of course,” He said. Lance blushed and soaked up some of the grease with his paper towel.

“So you _can_ cook things besides eggs,” he murmured and then took a bite.

“Yes. Contrary to popular belief, I can cook things besides eggs,” Keith responded.

“Like what?” Lance asked.

“Well, I can make some really good spaghetti and meatballs. Mac and cheese in a box, chicken and pesto, some decent salmon, uh…” Keith put his own bacon on his plate. “Cake mix.” Lance laughed.

“I dunno if the box mixes count, but I’ll admit I’m impressed. You know how to not burn down a kitchen,” Lance said. Keith shrugged.

“I live alone, as you know, and I don’t really like to eat out a lot. I usually want it to be a special occasion to justify spending so much money on food I could make for a fraction of the price,” keith said.

“Special occasion…like…a date maybe?” Lance asked as he shyly took another bite of his bacon. Keith turned bright red as he looked over at Lance.

“Do…you wanna go out on a date?” He asked. Lance blushed as well, and then immediately turned away to pour honey in their tea.

“Wow, you’re moving kinda fast…” he said. Then he grinned at Keith again. “We _just_ met.” Keith frowned.

“I’m literally standing in your kitchen at nine in the morning…in my _boxers_ ,” he replied. Lance laughed and took out the tea bags. “Did I like, not make it clear that I wanna date you?” Keith asked.

“I’m _teasing_ you, babe,” Lance said and walked over to wrap his arms around Keith’s neck. The pale man blushed, and instantly held Lance around his waist. “Also known as flirting,” he added.

“You flirt differently…” Keith mumbled. Lance shrugged, that hit a sore spot.

“Its how I always flirt,” he replied and let his arms slid down a little.

“Yeah, I mean…I felt like the system replied in a very typical polite manner, but…” he trailed off and smiled a little. “The way you do it is a little more interesting,” he said. Lance looked back at Keith, and then down.

“Sometimes…I do take it a bit far, so…just let me know if I am with you,” he murmured. Keith lifted his chin, and before Lance could look up, Keith was kissing him. It short and sweet, but also reassuring and kind. Lance opened his eyes to look at Keith, and sighed. “You’re…ugh…” he kissed Keith one more time.

“I’d like to go on a date with you,” Keith said. Lance groaned again, and kissed him again. “If you’d like to, that would make me really happy.”

“You’re impossible,” Lance said and nuzzled against his neck. Keith chuckled and affectionately rubbed Lance’s back.

“You still haven’t said yes or no…” Keith pointed out.

“Of course I want to go on a fucking date with you. You’re in my kitchen at nine in the morning in your _boxers_ ,” he replied and let go to grab a couple spoons. He then stirred up their tea, and tried to calm his beating heart.

“Glad we can agree that me being in my underwear is an acceptable reason to date,” Keith said and resumed his cooking. Lance glanced over at Keith’s said boxers, and bit his smile as he turned his attention back to their tea.

     Once their breakfast was all cooked, and their tea had cooled, they sat down at Lance’s table and ate together. It felt incredibly homey, but at the same time as if it was some kind of elaborate fantasy. As if this wasn’t supposed to exist because of how good it felt. Lance was better than anything Keith could’ve imagined, and Keith was _exactly_ what Lance wanted and, more importantly, needed. He was an amazing, caring person that Lance wanted to learn more and more about. He asked a million questions over breakfast. Keith told him everything about his job and his life in high school with Shiro. He told Lance about his college days, and then about the first pet he had with his family. Then he told Lance about how he felt like it’s death was his fault, and so he never got a pet once he was on his own. Lance found himself falling more and more in love with every detail.

“Shit…” Keith said with his mug halfway to his mouth.

“Hm?”

“I forgot I didn’t pack any clothes,” he said. “How am I supposed to take you out tonight with no clothes?” He asked himself more than Lance.

“You could borrow some of mine, or…actually we should call Shiro and ask if he could pick out a couple pairs of jeans and tee-shirts,” he suggested.

“Why would Shiro go shopping for me?” Keith questioned.

“Well, he may or may not have been texting me nonstop asking if you were okay before you woke up, so I’m guessing he’d do anything for a chance to check up on you,” Lance replied. “Also I don’t think you’d fit into my jeans.”

“I see…wait, what size are you?”

“Long and skinny,” Lance deadpanned sticking his leg out and onto Keith’s lap. The pale man looked at the leg across his thighs and smirked as he set his mug down.

“Long, you say?” He asked and ran his hands down Lance’s leg. Lance blushed.

“Y-Yes,” he stuttered and slowly started to pull his leg back. Keith pushed the fabric back and ran his bare fingers over Lance’s skin. The tan man stopped and shivered.

“Yeah, you seem to be rather long and soft.”

“Y-you’re kinda touchy,” Lance stuttered. Keith blushed at his acknowledgment, but that didn’t stop him from touching a little up his thigh.

“I’m not normally,” he admitted.

“I take it you’re a little touch starved?” Lance said with an adoring smile.

“I suppose…if touch starved means that I can’t even remember the last time I was touched like this, and therefore I crave it a lot, then yeah. I’d say that’s about right,” Keith looked down at Lance’s leg as he spoke. He ran his fingers over the smooth cinnamon skin, and appreciated every detail. Lance was truly beautiful, and it was more than obvious that Keith thought that. Lance chuckled.

“I’ll call Shiro,” he said as he gently pulled his leg away to walk over to his phone still on the counter. He leaned against the edge as he dialed Shiro’s number, and looked over at Keith cleaning up there breakfast. He put their empty plates in the sink, and then went back to retrieve their tea. 

“Hello? Lance?” Lance got so distracted watching his love, that it took Shiro a couple hellos before he heard it.

“Shiro!” Lance snapped back to reality. Keith raised a brow as he handed Lance his mug. Lance blushed and accepted it.

“Yes, that’s me,” Shiro replied.

“How’s Keith? Is he okay? You told me he was with you,” he went off.

“Well, I’m doing fine, Shiro. Thanks for asking,” he replied sarcastically, and sipped his tea. Shiro sighed. Keith was back to holding Lance and showing him any affection he could. Lance giggled when Keith’s breath tickled behind his ear.

“I’m sorry. How are you, Lance?” Shiro asked. Lance handed his mug to Keith, and he set it on the counter. With a hand now free, Lance ran his fingers through Keith’s hair.

“Could be worse. I won’t be at work for a while,” he hummed. Keith clearly appreciated Lance’s hand in his hair. If he could purr, Lance was sure he definitely would be.

“I heard. I’m glad you’re taking time for yourself,” Shiro replied. Lance smiled as Keith stepped around him to face his front, and then gasped as Keith suddenly lifted him onto the counter. “You okay?” Shiro asked.

“Your brother is _very_ affectionate, Shiro. I can’t do anything without him all over me,” Lance sighed and smiled down at his love. Keith merely smiled back and held Lance closely around his waist.

“Uh…are you sure you have Keith? He is the most unaffectionate person I’ve ever met. He barely gives me a high five, and whines whenever I hug him,” Shiro replied.

“Huh. Maybe it’s just me, because he does not like to let go of me,” Lance mused out loud. Keith nodded and nuzzled closer.

“I think I missed something…when…when did you and Keith actually meet? Like…what happened?” Shiro asked. Lance blushed.

“We met yesterday,” Lance answered.

“I know. I took him to you. Every other time I’ve taken someone to you to confess their love you rejected them because you didn’t know them,” Shiro pointed out. “Are you like…okay with Keith? What…I don’t understand.”

“I don’t really understand myself, but…” Lance ran his fingers through Keith’s hair. “I was observing the prototype as it was working, and…I may or may not be in love with your brother?” He announced. Keith lifted his head with a grin. Lance was bright red. He looked so happy to hear that.

“ _Lance_ ,” Shiro sighed.

“C-can you blame me? H-he was _trying_  to make me love him, you could ask him yourself!” Lance defended.

“I’d love to, but he isn’t answering any texts,” Shiro said. Lance frowned and held his phone to his chest.

“Keith, are you not answering any of Shiro’s texts?” He asked. Keith shrugged.

“Didn’t bring my charger, so my phone is dead,” he replied. Lance brought his phone back to his ear.

“His phone is dead, wanna talk to him now?” He offered.

“ _No_ ,” Keith’s eyes were wide.

“Yes please,” Shiro answered politely. Lance held the phone to Keith, and he groaned before taking it.

“Hello?” He mumbled.

“How the hell did you manage to romance my co worker through a fucking A.I. program?” Shiro demanded to know.

“I dunno,” Keith replied.

“I mean…he sounds really happy,” Shiro noticed. Keith smiled and rubbed his thumb against Lance’s waist.

“Yeah, he does…”

“But still. I can’t tell if I’m disappointed or…proud? In some weird way. Anyways, you’re in town and the only time I saw you, you threw one of your devices at me. So, I’d like to see you again,” Shiro said.

“Okay,” Keith replied.

“Okay?”

“Yeah, you just gotta ask Lance. It’s his house,” Keith responded.

“Lemme talk to Lance again,” Shiro sighed. Keith handed Lance his phone back.

“This is Lance,” he announced as he took his device back. Keith lightly massaged Lance’s back through his robe and pyjamas.

“Can I please come over to see my brother?” Shiro asked.

“Yes, but…can you do us a favor?”

     Shiro arrived a few hours later looking less than happy with a target bag. By then Lance had changed into pants and his favorite baseball tee, and couldn’t help but chuckle as Keith remained in his boxers. Before Shiro could hound Keith with a million questions, Lance told him to let Keith at least put on some pants. Once Keith was dressed, it was fair game.

“First off, what the fuck happened?” Shiro didn’t sound angry, but he definitely sounded tired.

“That’s a good question,” Lance nodded as he set a cup of tea in front of Shiro.

“Thank you,” he said.

“Well…I dunno. That’s what I was thinking,” Keith responded.

“So…correct me if I’m wrong, _you_ -“ Shiro pointed at Keith “-not only fell in love with the A.I. program, but also attempted to romance it. And _you_ -“ he pointed at Lance “- watched all of it, and tampered with the program to give it feelings and to interact with Keith more. Is that right? Because that’s what we discussed in the meeting this morning after you called me back.” Both boys hesitated, and then nodded with red cheeks.

“Yeah…that’s like spot on,” Lance confirmed.

“I dunno if I’d say I tried to _romance_ the A.I.,” Keith muttered.

“I would. You totally did,” Lance said.

“I-I was just…I dunno, having conversations!” Keith defended turning redder.

“You called it a ‘really nice set of ones and zeros’,” Lance reminded him. Keith crossed his arms.

“I said no such thing.”

“Actually, yeah you did. We all watched that clip and agreed that was you flirting with your device,” Shiro added. Lance gave Keith a smug smile, and Keith sulked.

“It’s okay. I found it really endearing,” Lance said. Shiro nodded.

“Yeah, everyone thought it was kinda cute.”

“Jesus Christ…” Keith ran his fingers through his hair. “I meant it…like to _you_ , but Shiro kept insisting you didn’t exist past the program,” Keith explained. Lance couldn’t help but smile wider.

“Like I said. It was really endearing,” Lance said softly and touched down Keith’s arm until he got to his hand.

“You can probably guess why I did,” Shiro sighed. “I’m the paperwork guy, so they all know me and have my number and they always ask if he’s real.”

“Oh…wow,” Keith frowned. He intertwined his fingers with Lance’s, and adored how small his hands were compared to his. Except his fingers were skinnier and almost longer. It was still really cute.

“Well, there’s also the people who get mad because they’re awful people and the program is trying to teach them to actually have manners. Those ones are dangerous, and would legitimately beat me up,” Lance added. Keith squeezed his hand both affectionately and possessively.

“That’s disgusting,” Keith muttered. “No decent human being would want to hurt you.”

“Yeah. They’re not decent,” Lance sighed.

“Lance’s safety has always been a priority. I only wish we accommodated for his mental safety sooner,” Shiro said.

“Well, that’s why we have prototypes and not an actual product,” Lance said. Shiro raised his mug in agreement and then sipped it.

“So how long are you staying, Keith?” He asked. Keith shrugged.

“I dunno. I blew most of my money on a ticket here,” he admitted.

“The company will rembourse you for that as well as pay for your ticket home. I just need to know when,” Shiro replied.

“I guess…in a couple weeks? I dunno. I might be fired after leaving in the middle of the day without clocking out,” Keith went on.

“Your boss called right after that, and he was informed before you started the program that you might have some work difficulties that are not your fault. He just reported what happened, and I told him to give you some time off to cope with it,” Shiro told him. Keith sighed.

“I kinda wish I was fired. Then I wouldn’t see Mark ever again.”

“Mark was actually fired today. We reported some of his harassment towards you and showed the footage to your boss, and he agreed Mark should be let go,” Shiro informed him. Keith blinked a couple times.

“Holy shit…”

“Your boss really likes you, Keith. He said you’re a wonderful employee, and that he wishes your coworkers were more focused and dedicated like you,” Shiro said. Lance leaned on Keith’s shoulder a little and rubbed his free hand on Keith’s bicep.

“I guess being a workaholic has its perks, huh babe?” Lance murmured and kissed his cheek proudly. Keith couldn’t help but smile and lean his head towards Lance.

“I guess…”

“I’m never gonna get used to this…this is so unusual,” Shiro said. Lance giggled, and Keith blushed.

“Get used to what?” Keith asked.

“You barely let me give you a pat on the shoulder, man. What’s this about?” Shiro asked. Keith only moved closer to Lance.

“I-I dunno. I can’t explain it,” Keith muttered.

“I’m just irresistible, Shiro. Everyone knows that,” Lance said.

“Sure,” Shiro sighed and took another sip of his tea. “Well, Lance isn’t the worst person to date. Glad he’s your first.” Keith turned bright red and froze. Lance blinked at Shiro and then looked at Keith.

“Wait, you…” he trailed off.

“Something wrong?” Shiro asked. Keith looked up at him with a very embarrassed expression.

“I…didn’t tell Lance I’ve never dated anyone before,” Keith muttered with shame. Lance was quiet with wide eyes.

“Oh…” Shiro slowly set his mug down. “Uh…oops. Um, maybe I should get back to work.” Keith nodded. Lance tried to snap out of his shock, and got up to take care of Shiro’s mug.

“That’s really good tea though,” he muttered as he got up.

     They all awkwardly said goodbye, and Shiro was gone. Lance was loading all the dirty dishes into his dishwasher, and finally started it. He hadn’t been that good at eating the past few days, so it took him three days just to fill up half his dishwasher. As he pressed the start button and closed the door, he could feel eyes on him. It was weird to feel his eyes and not his hands, so Lance turned around and looked back at Keith. He still looked rather embarrassed, and very awkward standing so far from Lance. Well, it was barely a foot, but it felt far.

“Uh…Sorry about that. I meant to tell you, but…I forgot to mention it,” he announced. Lance nodded.

“Its okay. It’s kinda cute,” he said.

“Cute? I’m 26 and I’ve never held someone’s hand. That’s kinda pathetic to me,” Keith scoffed crossing his arms. Lance stepped closer to Keith and ran his hand down his arm.

“You held my hand,” Lance reminded him. Keith allowed Lance to take his arm out of his pouty pose, and slid their fingers together. “You’ve kissed me too. A lot,” he added with a grin. Keith blushed deeper.

“You can probably tell how inexperienced I am, huh?”

“You’re actually a pretty good kisser,” Lance said. Keith smiled a little at that and reached with his other hand to touch Lance’s side.

“You’re pretty good too,” he murmured. Lance giggled, and Keith gently pulled him closer. With less space, Keith brushed his lips against Lance’s.

“You flatter me,” Lance replied. His lips moving against Keith’s as he rubbed his thumb against the back of Keith’s hand.

“I love you,” Keith sighed. Lance felt his heart hiccup. He let Keith kiss him, and even kissed him back. As the kiss ended, Lance rested his forehead against Keith’s.

“We just met,” Lance mumbled.

“Don’t care,” Keith murmured.

“Keith-“

“I _don’t care_  if we just met, Lance. I’m in love with you,” Keith interrupted. Lance sighed.

“You’re such a hot head…we’re moving really fast,” Lance pointed out.

“Do you want to stop?” Keith asked. Lance hesitated, and then looked down.

“No. Not at all…”

“Then we’re moving just fast enough,” Keith assured him. Lance looked up to say something, but he was quickly interrupted again by Keith’s lips. Lance used his hand that wasn’t locked with Keith’s to touch down Keith’s chest and abdomen, and he shivered in response.

“You’re sensitive,” Lance noticed. Keith blushed and then nodded.

“Never done this before, remember?”

“Yeah…” he let go of Keith’s hand to wrap his arms around his love’s neck. “I kinda like it,” he said with a grin. Keith chuckled.

“Don’t tell me you have like a virgin kink.”

“Ew, no not like that dummy,” Lance said and lightly smacked Keith’s shoulder. He laughed. “I mean I like that I’m…I’m the first person you’ve done all this with.”

“I like that too,” Keith murmured. Lance grinned and rested his forehead against Keith’s.

“I’m glad.”


	3. Spending time together

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops I forgot to update this ahajskakaka

     Lance was very productive with his time off. He and Keith decided they would go out to dinner at a nearby diner, and enjoy each other’s company in the meantime. That included tidying up his house, and finally sprucing up his garden. 

     Tidying was quick and easy. Lance straightened up his pillows and blankets while Keith dusted for him. Lance then jokingly called him a French maid, and continued to tease him asking where his sexy uniform was. Keith said that he would rather die before he even considered wearing a French maid outfit, and tried not to laugh with Lance. He failed. 

     After that, and a load of laundry, Lance stared longingly at his neglected garden. His flowers seemed to survive the critters and the bugs, but some of his root vegetables looked to be worse for wear. Plus, it was overwhelmed with weeds and leaves. Keith received a call from his boss, so he was on the phone as Lance went outside to take a good look at his garden. By the time his love joined him, he was knee deep in pulling weeds and picking out his bad carrots and potatoes. When he looked up, Keith was grinning at him. He sat back and wiped the sweat from his brow.

“Do you not own gardening gloves?” Keith asked. Lance shrugged.

“Well, I started pulling one weed, and before I knew it I’m on my knees getting filthy, but like not in the fun way,” he replied. Keith chuckled and shook his head.

“You’re so vulgar sometimes,” Keith noticed. Lance shrugged and pulled another weed.

“I’m just saying what everyone’s thinking, except not in a republican way.” Keith rolled his eyes and then held his hand out for Lance to grab.

“C’mon. You’ve gotta have gloves somewhere,” he said. 

     Lance wiped his hands on his jeans, and accepted Keith’s hand. Then he lead Keith to his shed at the edge of his backyard, and cracked it open for the first time in a month. It was dusty, but Lance managed to navigate through the minimal mess. He grabbed his gloves, kneeling board, a bucket, and his extra pair of gloves. Keith put on the gloves and worked with Lance on his garden as if he did it on the regular. If Lance didn’t spend the past three days closely following Keith’s life, he wouldn’t have questioned how naturally Keith worked with the earth. But since he knew Keith’s most recent experience with nature was going outside to get on the train, it was a little interesting.

“Did you have a garden at some point in your life?” Lance asked. Keith tossed another weed into the bucket and shrugged.

“My mom would try to maintain one, so I’d help her one every three months she decided to clean it up. I guess I’m used to pulling a lot of weeds because of that,” he said. Lance smiled a little.

“What was Shiro like when you guys were younger? He’s always been kinda stoic and mysterious. I didn’t even know he had a brother.” Keith let out a breath as he thought back.

“He was still a middle aged mom trapped in a painfully handsome man’s body, but like the fun middle aged mom that drank a lot of wine. Or in his case beer,” Keith told him. Lance’s jaw dropped.

“No way. Shiro would _never_ touch a beer at staff parties. He always tells us he’s a wine guy.”

“He used to _hate_ wine. He never drank a lot in high school, but in college he got shit faced a couple times on cheap beer,” Keith recalled. Lance laughed.

“That’s probably why he prefers wine now.”

“Makes sense…but when I was really young he was in middle school. I don’t think I was around when he was in elementary school,” Keith continued.

“When did they take you in?” Lance asked. He vaguely knew most of the trivial information Keith was telling him, but he really liked hearing it from Keith himself instead of reading it on a file.

“I think I was about five…maybe six. I don’t remember a lot before it. I kinda assumed it wasn’t good stuff because…” Keith trailed off.

“Because…” Lance encouraged. Keith breathed a little laughed.

“I totally haven’t noticed until now, but…I haven’t had nightmares since we started talking,” he realized. Lance frowned.

“Nightmares?”

“I always have this same nightmare. There’s nothing really scary about it, but…it always makes me wake up in cold sweats. Sometimes I’m crying and I don’t even realize it. I’ve gotten so used to it…it’s weird that I haven’t noticed, but I haven’t had one all week,” he said.

“Well, that’s good. What happens in your nightmare?”

“It’s really just…dark and cold. There’s a woman who just tells me to leave. I think she’s my mother. Like…my biological mom,” Keith blinked down at his hands.

“I still don’t know what to think of it.”

“Maybe she couldn’t take care of you. Lots of women are in those kinds of situations, y’know?” Lance said. Keith nodded.

“Yeah…doctors tell me she dropped me off at a hospital with my birth certificate and social security card and then left. They say she looked like she was medicated or something,” Keith replied. “We don’t know the full story, but…it’s not that hard to piece together.”

“Right…” Lance nodded. Keith frowned. “Are you okay?” Lance asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine…which is strange because every other time I’ve talked about this subject I always end up crying or uncomfortable, but right now…” he looked up at Lance. “I just feel better that I said it.” Lance smiled at him.

“Congratulations. You just successfully vented to someone,” he announced. They both laughed, and then Keith shook his head a little.

“I think…I think there’s just something about you,” he murmured. Lance blushed and smiled down as he continued pulling weeds. Keith continued to stare at him as he took off his gloves. “You’re just really easy to talk to. I feel like…I could tell you anything, and that you really care. I dunno…”

“Of course I care, Keith. I love you,” He said it so casually and normally as if it stopped sending chills down Keith’s spine every time he said it. Keith grinned back and continued to pull weeds with Lance.

“Interesting to hear that from a man I just met,” he muttered. Lance froze, and then glared at Keith.

“That’s not fair,” he decided. Keith shrugged.

“I mean, am I wrong?” He asked with a smirk that instantly made Lance fall in love all over again.

“Its different for me because I didn’t meet a robot that acted like you first,” Lance claimed. Keith then shook his head and moved closer to Lance.

“But you never actually _talked_  to me until now,” Keith pointed out. Lance blushed and bit his lip. He kept his eyes on the weeds as Keith let his hand gently touch Lance’s knee.

“I…actually said goodnight to you once,” he confessed. Keith blinked.

“You…”

“I found a way to insert specific dialogue into the system, and…I told you goodnight as you were falling asleep,” Lance reiterated.

“I remember that,” Keith breathed. Lance looked up at him.

“You do?” He spoke softly. Keith nodded and furrowed his brows.

“Yeah…Yeah, it was the night I started using those glasses…right?” Lance nodded.

“You…you said you wished I was there, a-and you kept looking through my photos. I couldn’t help but feel like you knew, and I couldn’t tell if I was just too hopeful or if I was right,” Lance said. Keith tenderly took off one of Lance’s gloves, and interlocked their fingers.

“Like I knew what?” Keith asked. Lance watched Keith’s finger play with his, and smiled at it.

“Like you knew that I’m real. Like…like you could see me past the program and the tech and shit,” Lance murmured. Keith turned Lance’s hand palm up, and ran his fingers up his forearm.

“I had a hunch. Like I said, there was no way someone as amazing as you was just whipped up in a lab,” Keith said. Lance giggled and blushed. “But I also knew that those pictures were definitely not paintings or fake pictures. You…you _had_ to be someone. I just knew you were _someone_ ,” Keith told Lance as he looked down at his beautiful cinnamon skin.

“Those pictures are from my-“

“Instagram…Yeah, Shiro told me about that a little,” Keith nodded. Lance smiled and pulled his hand away from Keith’s to cup his face.

“You did know…” he hummed. Keith nodded.

“I knew it. I just…I _knew_ , and Shiro wouldn’t tell me anything. It was so _frustrating_  I thought I was going crazy,” Keith said. Lance frowned and moved closer. He held both sides of Keith’s face, and caressed his cheeks. He was accidentally getting dirt on Keith’s face, but the pale man didn’t care.

“Oh Keith,” he sighed. “I’m so sorry.”

“What are you sorry about?” Keith murmured.

“I could’ve told you everything. I…I kept you in the dark for so long because I knew I couldn’t interfere, but…I already broke that rule. I don’t know why I didn’t just tell you everything,” Lance explained. Keith shook his head.

“You did nothing wrong,” he insisted. Lance shook his head and leaned forward to kiss Keith.

“I could’ve seen you sooner,” he whispered against his lips. Keith reached out and touched Lance’s waist.

“You have me now,” Keith replied and kissed him back.

“I could’ve…saved us a lot of stress,” Lance huffed as Keith’s lips interrupted him.

“Stop blaming yourself for a problem that doesn’t exist,” Keith said firmly. “You’re with me _now_  and that’s all I care about.”

“Keith…” Lance frowned deeply, but Keith soothed his worried lips with his own.

“I love you, Lance. What happened happened, and I’m fine with it. Because if I hadn’t gone through all that stress, this probably wouldn’t feel nearly as good as it does,” Keith pointed out. Lance finally smiled and nodded.

“You have a point,” he pulled away his hands and gasped at the dirt smudge on his jaw.

“What?” Keith asked.

“I got dirt _all over you!_ “ Lance cried and tried to rub it away. He only got more dirt on Keith when he remembered his other glove was still on. Lance quickly pulled it off, but it still didn’t get any better. There was still dirt on his fingers from before he put on his gloves. “I’m just making it _worse!_ “ he groaned. Keith laughed and held Lance’s wrists.

“Don’t worry about it,” Keith said and pulled him into a kiss.

“But I got you all dirty,” Lance poured.

“It’s easy to clean,” Keith assured him. “Besides…this just means I have the right to get _you_ dirty,” Keith smirked. Lance’s eyes widened.

“What-“

     Before he could say anything else, Keith was smothering him with kisses and rubbing his cheeks against Lance’s. The tan man shrieked, and Keith held him closer around his waist. Lance pathetically tried to push off Keith’s dirty hands, and gasped when Keith accidentally fell backwards onto his lawn. They giggled a little, and Keith held the side of Lance’s face. His love nuzzled into his palm, and he couldn’t help but to grin up at the wonderful man on his lap. Lance looked so gorgeous in the glowing shade. It was sunny for once in New York, and Keith couldn’t help but notice how the sunshine complimented his skin. Lance grinned back as Keith continued his fingers through short brown hair. He was about to lean down for another kiss, when they were interrupted by the sound of Lance’s front door opening and closing.

“Lance? I know you’re home! Shiro told me you’d be-“ Hunk stopped talking as he stepped outside and laid his eyes on the scene in front of him. Lance looked at his best friend with wide eyes, and Keith was pushing himself up onto his elbows. “…here…”

“Uh…Yeah, I’m here,” Lance nodded. He remained awkwardly sitting on Keith’s lap, even when Keith sat up completely. Hunk blinked.

“Um…I’m sorry, am I like interrupting something?” Hunk asked pointing back and forth between them. Lance turned bright red and scrambled out of Keith’s lap.

“We should talk!” Lance announced. Keith frowned up at him in confusion. Hunk tilted his head in a similar fashion. “…in private,” he added as he walked over to Hunk.

“Uh, Okay.”

“I’ll be right back,” Lance promised before pushing Hunk back inside his house. Keith nodded.

“Okay…”

     Lance nodded back with a smile and closed his sliding glass door behind him. Hunk had his arms crossed, and then he scratched his head. Lance was silent as his best friend started connecting the dots. Then, he looked at Lance with his hands on his hips.

“I can explain,” Lance said first.

“Is that _him?_ “ Hunk asked.

“Yes, it is, but like-“

“Shiro didn’t tell me he was _here,_ ” Hunk said.

“I know-“

“How long has he been in your house? Shiro said he left the office yesterday.”

“Uh…he’s been here since he left.”

“Where did he sleep?”

“My bed,” Lance answered honestly. Hunk pursed his lips as he dreaded the answer to his next question.

“Where did… _you_ sleep?”

“…my bed,” Lance sighed.

“Lance,” Hunk was obviously concerned and disappointed.

“Look-“

“You just met the guy.”

“I know, I know! But like, hear me out man,” Lance pleaded. Hunk crossed his arms and let Lance speak. The tan man hesitated before clearing his throat. “He’s like…really sweet.”

“…and?” Hunk prompted.

“And…we’re like taking it slow-“

“ _Slow?_ “ Hunk asked incredulously. Lance’s blush returned.

“W-what you just walked in on is not what you think it is! We were not…we were just not!” Lance defended. Hunk sighed.

“You obsess over this guy for like three of four days, he shows up at your work uninvited, and your response is to invite him to your house and garden with him?” Hunk asked. Lance hesitated before nodded.

“Yeah, that about sums it up,” he confirmed.

“I’m telling your mom,” Hunk announce.

“Wait, Hunk no!” Lance squawked and grabbed his arms. “No, seriously, we’re trying to pace ourselves and really get to know each other, but we just _really_ like each other, I swear!”

“You need to see your therapist,” Hunk deadpanned. Lance groaned.

“You haven’t even met Keith! Just like have a conversation with him, and you’ll understand why I like him so much!” Lance insisted. Hunk stood stubbornly with his arms crossed before sighing.

“Alright. Let’s do lunch.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hmu!
> 
> Snap: ksenialynns  
> Insta: @lynnart1998  
> Tumblr: fryingpanss.tumblr.com
> 
> Or chat with me in the comments if you have any questions!


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